About Me

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Nope, no bias here!

If this is true, it's shameful. ABC news apparently heavily edited Charlie Gibson's interview with Gov. Palin, and tried to do so in a way that makes her look unprepared, and dangerously hawkish.

At least one of the clips I've seen is obviously edited. Many of her answers seem to be abruptly cut off, or start too abruptly. His questions seem the same. The interview doesn't "flow" like a real discussion would. One is at about 0:58 into the clip, after he explains what he means by "the Bush Doctrine." The camera is on her face, and her hands are in her lap. The camera cuts to a side view, and her right hand is suddenly up at chin level. According to the transcript, here is what was cut out (in bold):

GIBSON: The Bush doctrine, as I understand it, is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense, that we have the right to a preemptive strike against any other country that we think is going to attack us. Do you agree with that?

PALIN: I agree that a president’s job, when they swear in their oath to uphold our Constitution, their top priority is to defend the United States of America.

I know that John McCain will do that and I, as his vice president, families we are blessed with that vote of the American people and are elected to serve and are sworn in on January 20, that will be our top priority is to defend the American people.

GIBSON: Do we have a right to anticipatory self-defense? Do we have a right to make a preemptive strike again another country if we feel that country might strike us?

PALIN: Charlie, if there is legitimate and enough intelligence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country. In fact, the president has the obligation, the duty to defend.

The most noticeable one is immediately after that, at about 1:11 in the clip. Again from a front view of her face, this time with her hand visibly and being used to emphasize her point, the camera switches to a side view, and now her hands are suddenly in her lap. What was left out is part of the above quote (in bold).

PALIN: Charlie, if there is legitimate and enough intelligence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country.In fact, the president has the obligation, the duty to defend.

GIBSON: Do we have the right to be making cross-border attacks into Pakistan from Afghanistan, with or without the approval of the Pakistani government?

I encourage you to read the whole transcript. Pay attention to what was edited out of what was actually broadcast. Form your own opinion of Gov. Palin, and how the media is trying to twist her image to make her look like someone she isn't.